Shake-up call over NI planning

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6517299.stm

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The time delay in planning decisions contributes to soaring house prices rise in Northern Ireland, the construction industry has claimed.

The system is too complex and slow and a review is needed urgently, the Construction Employers Federation said.

It claimed one of the reasons house prices are rising so fast is that it takes too long for land to be made available to build new homes.

The federation's managing director, John Armstrong, called for change.

"An efficient planning system is crucial to the growth of our economy, prosperity and well-being of the people of Northern Ireland," Mr Armstrong said.

"The present planning system is doing the opposite. It is acting as a brake where planning applications can take up to two years or more to process."

He said the current system was so cumbersome and slow that it takes several years for an area plan to be reviewed.

"This is one of the main reasons that development land is not available for building new houses and is one of the key underlining factors causing house prices to rise so fast," Mr Armstrong said.

"We are concerned that many first time buyers will not be able to afford to put a foot on the property ladder."